Title: Simple Model for Analysis of Circumferential Ridging Deformation of Fuel Rods
Abstract: Abstract A simple model for analysis of fuel rod ridging is proposed. In this model, a piece of radially cracked pellet is considered as a beam, and cladding as a tube shell, allowing fuel rod ridging to be analyzed by applying the beam and shell theories. Ridging height and contact force between the pellet piece and the cladding tube are expressed in a relatively simple form as a function of elastic constants of the pellet and cladding, temperatures, dimensional parameters, etc. Effects of fuel design parameters on the fuel rod ridging are evaluated using this model. KEYWORDS: nuclear fuelsfuel rodsfuel pelletscladdingthermoelasticitythermal expansiondeformationmechanical propertiescracksstress analysisfailures